Wise Counsel

I don't make New Year's resolutions, as a rule. I know myself far too well. I start strong, but I don't always finish well, depending on what it is. I need to take ownership of something in order to be motivated to see it through to completion, and a calendar date doesn't normally serve as a catalyst.

I can decide that it's time to eat better, work out harder, clean more, get organized, revamp our school schedule, be nicer to my children, remember to iron Craig's shirts before he needs them, catch up on emails... the list goes on; 

but God's Word tells us to number our days, to make the most of every opportunity, to take up our cross and daily follow Jesus.

None of those former things matter much apart from the latter, and January 1st doesn't have to be the day that spurs me to frantically start checking things off, just to find in a couple of months that I don't have enough steam left to accomplish my lofty ambitions.

Still, while cleaning up Christmas and New Year's messes, putting away decorations, and gearing up for the rest of the school year, it's a good time for reflection and planning.

2011 was an exciting year for us, full of change, blessing, and challenge.

I can't make any particular declaration about what I expect to see happen in 2012, but these things I do know:

~ God is faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13)

~ His mercy is new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

~ He longs to be gracious to His people. (Isaiah 30:18)

~ He has promised in His Word to bring to completion the good work that He has begun in us. (Philippians 1:6)

Tomorrow, we have the wonderful opportunity to take a day trip and visit some special friends. I'm looking forward to this time of fellowship and refreshment before resuming our daily routine here at home.

After that, I plan to spend the rest of the week doing some spiritual "assessment" with the children and seeking God's will and direction for the rest of our school year.

A friend shared this blog post from a faithful brother in Christ, which I find especially useful and inspiring. Craig and I read it and have decided to put Mr. Phillips's counsel into practice.

I'm sure that our lists will differ from the Phillips Family's lists, but several of Doug's suggestions are worth copying, such as his advice to personally thank those who've blessed and influenced us, and encourage our children to do the same.

I'm excited about taking time with the children to recall God's specific blessings and provision for our family over the past year, and looking ahead to what He has in store for us next.

Happy 14th Birthday, Graham!

In those days, he carried "Bear-Bear" and sucked two fingers. His favorite companion was "A-bah-dah" (Gabriela), and he loved to play with her hair.

He was a special "pet" to his big sister, Caelyn, and absolutely adored her.

He called himself "Ham", and referred to Morgan as "Doe".

We never thought he'd master English, but he has become quite a brilliant young man.

Graham has since traded his stuffed animals for pocket knives, multi-use tools, and Chinese stars.

(True story.)

He loves to play football, Risk, or Chess, and is enthralled with military and martial arts movies, cars, and music.

He doesn't say much, but when he has something to share, it's always interesting.

I love to observe Graham's relationship with his siblings.

He's affectionate, humorous, and ever so protective of all of them.

He shares a strong bond with his older brother, Craig Grayson. The two of them are like James & John, the "sons of thunder", in the New Testament.

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
   are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
   who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
   when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Psalm 127:4-5

Precious Moments

Often these days, I find myself lamenting the fact that the children have outgrown so many of our favorite books, toys, and clothing.

A colonial-period dress and a Pilgrim dress that I made for Gabriela have become sewing room decor, and many of our children's books & toys have been set aside for visitors or future grandchildren.

Today, Morgan showed me that seventeen isn't too old to enjoy a special mommy-daughter moment together with a favorite.

I was lying on Gabriela's bed, talking to her as she cleaned her closet, when Morgan handed me Joyful Noise, plopped down beside me, and snuggled up in a blanket.

Oh, the giggles that ensued!

One day she'll be reading with her own children, but today I'm thankful for this special time that will soon be only a memory.

As Craig says to encourage young parents,

"The days may seem long at times, but the years are short."

Take some time to read with your little ones... or your not-so-little ones!

Wow! Thanks, Penny!

I've taught my children that it's not nice to pick favorites when it comes to people - whether friends or family.

So, I won't call Penny my favorite bloggie buddy; but she definitely has what it takes to be anyone's favorite!

Today she solved a dilemma for me.

Before we moved from Moçambique last year, I learned that my beloved Grandma Betty had passed away.

When we moved back to the States, my mom & aunts had decided that I should inherit Grandma's needlecraft supplies, which included some crocheted squares that never made their way into afghans.

Not having learned to crochet, I really didn't know where to begin to use these squares, but Penny has offered the perfect idea!

I hope to soon turn these:

Into something akin to these.

Thanks for the fabulous idea, Penny!

My Birthday Weekend

Here it begins: the final lap of my thirties.

When I was in my twenties, I was so excited about turning 30. I was eager to put into practice the lessons I learned as a younger woman.

Now, I'm looking forward to my forties, hoping to gain a little more respect wisdom.

Although I'm still very young (and don't you forget it!), I'm starting to notice that I'm not 25 anymore.

The evidence:

* I now use an eyebrow pencil.

* I now use a roll-on puffiness/dark circle remover around my eyes. 

(That was hard to admit.)

* I'm older than my dentist. Significantly.

("Like, totally!")

* I spend a lot of time thinking about the fact that one of my sons is now sporting a moderate Mohawk.

* I often solicit my daughters' input in choosing attire for some occasions.

* Hip pain sometimes causes me to lose sleep, and I just may have to give up running, for keeps.

* When I organize storage areas, I separate items into "Give Away", "Sell", "Throw Away", and "Keep for Future Grandchildren".

* My storytelling often includes lines like, "Well, my generation..."

But I'm not scared! Bring it! I have about five gray hairs - maybe - and I'm proud! The wrinkles on my face are from laughing, because my family cracks me up. I love these people, and I'm grateful for every minute I've spent taking care of them.

Just check out how we celebrated my birthday (which, by the way, was Friday. The 30th. You'll want to make a note of that.)

I got to start a week in advance. I needed a dress for a certain event, and Craig took me to one of my "go-to" stores. People often ask me if I sew clothes. I answer that it would take all the fun out of shopping for them!

On "the big day", we went into the city with Craig. While the boys got haircuts, the rest of us went to a really great nearby cafe to wait.
Don't be deceived by the commonplace appearance of this coffee drink (nor offended by its presentation). It is "The Black Eye": dark coffee with two shots of espresso, and a little cream 'cause that's how I roll.

Isn't that some scar on my knee? It's a reminder of much younger days, when a friend and I flipped a car.

Caelyn was the only one brave enough to try the "Black Eye" with me.

I'm glad that Morgan, the photographer, made it into a photo.

Here's C-Whit, chillin' while awaiting his drink at the cafe.

After stopping by Craig's office for a few minutes (just to make it look good), and waiting even longer for the boys' haircut excursion, we headed to a fabulous Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. Pictured here is the #1. Can't wait to have it again! My actual lunch, though, was a modified version of #82.

Next on my list: Learn to "French Press" the Vietnamese way.

Because my man is super generous (and despite the fact that I already got a super adorable dress) he took me to REI after lunch for another pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes.
(Are you familiar with the term "the bomb"?

Since we were out all day - and because we're nearly 1400 miles away from my parents and their amazing baked goods - we decided to try out a bakery that my cousin recommended. We each chose something different and shared samples. It was OK, but I'm still craving something with either white cream filling or buttercream frosting. I was thinking more of a traditional bakery, but it was actually a deli/cafe setup with a dessert counter. The selections were abundant. I'd still go there, but not for a traditional bakery experience.

We didn't end up getting any more photos of the weekend, but it was surely a blast! When we finally dragged ourselves home, Craig and I headed to the gym for a workout, followed by a trip to Whole Foods. When I get him all alone in that store, it is such a fun time. I can pretty much ask for anything, and he'll say yes. We went on the right day. :-)

On Saturday, our homeschool group sponsored a pancake breakfast at a nearby park. The weather was beautiful, and we had such a great time visiting and meeting some of the other families.

After the pancake breakfast, we drove into the city to explore an exciting new family adventure. I'm not sure if we'll actually do this, but how else will I get a T-shirt and wear it with a clear conscience?

The rest of Saturday was spent visiting the military supply store, grabbing coffee, and a date out with Craig in the evening.

Today was equally wonderful with a great church service in the morning, followed by greasy burgers for lunch, a little of the Steelers/Texans game, and a shopping trip. Our family will be helping with a golf tournament/fundraiser tomorrow, and the boys needed new duds for that. Once upon a time, they always had khakis and polo shirts in their closet. I don't know what happened...

Family. Friends. Food. Fellowship.

It's been fourteen years since we've seen our friends, the Lynches. Many, many changes have taken place between our two families since Craig and Brad first met (at a Bible study?) in California back in 1992 or '93. (My memory is awful.)

One thing that hasn't changed is Craig's occasional tendency to lose track of planning, leaving me to find out that we will be having overnight guests in less than 24 hours, and I haven't gone grocery shopping or organized sheets and towels yet. 

:-)

But, hey! I am "Chava"!
(That's Craig's Hebrew nickname for me. The "Ch" sounds like you're gearing up to hawk a loogie.)

And I have a "staff"!

So, when I got a message from Brad's wife, Lisa, squaring up details on their upcoming visit, I got right to work.

Lisa was a bit nervous about revealing to me her gluten (& dairy) intolerance, for fear that it would stress me out.

I was a bit nervous about revealing to Lisa that I don't usually serve beverages, other than water and coffee.

In the end, neither of us had any reason to worry! 

I've at least heard of gluten-free dietary guidelines, and I love to try new things; and she and her family don't drink other beverages, either!

Caelyn and I got busy on meal-planning immediately and headed to the grocery store while the rest of our "staff" put the house in order.

Here's what we came up with for dinner:

Grilled chicken

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Vegetable Kabobs in Balsamic Marinade

Vegetable/Pineapple/Shrimp Kabobs in Teriyaki Marinade

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños Stuffed w/Ricotta & Smoked Gruyere Cheese

Tortilla Chips with Salsa, Mango Salsa, & Guacamole

Sauteéd Green Beans

Corn on the Cob

Caelyn worked on the kabobs.

Craig came in to say that he finds my cooking "sexy".

Gabriela has moved right into a position among our kitchen "staff". She does very well.

How do people function without lists? I'd be lost without them.

For dessert, Gabriela made this recipe from Karina's Kitchen, with a slight modification.

This recipe originally came from The Pioneer Woman, but I feel that I can teach her a thing or two. ;-) Actually, I just wasn't entirely pleased with cream cheese as a filling. We like a different texture and richer flavor. So, I used ricotta and smoked Gruyere cheese, instead, with a little salt and pepper.
Obviously, this wasn't any help to Lisa's dairy intolerance; but it did wonders to prove to my husband that I will also go out of my way to please him.

It was such a joy to see Craig and Brad interact again after such a long time. They've always been like brothers, and Brad has been a tremendous encouragement to Craig. We had a marvelous time discussing the Word together. (Isn't Brad cute with Gabriela's little fabric-covered Bible in his hands?)

Lisa is delightful! We covered many topics, from homeschooling to genetically-modified food to theology. 

Gabriela and Kaitlin had a blast together! There was so much cuteness concentrated in this little area!

Our girls thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Holly. She's such a joyful young lady.

After a gluten-free brunch the next morning, the Lynches had to head back home. We're so grateful that they made the trip to see us.

"Iron sharpens iron,
   and one man sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17

Blessed Day

One of the perks of homeschooling is that we have the option of taking our work outside whenever the beautiful weather calls to us.

We've had intermittent storms rolling through here lately, as has much of the country; but in calm moments, the sun has shone gloriously.

When we lived in Alabama, we would often do our school work on the back patio or in the yard. I'd sit on the hammock with my binoculars, nature journal, and bird & insect guides, and the children would surround me with their school books.

I'd read aloud to them from my perch, taking frequent breaks to photograph or observe a particular bird or butterfly.

Each day, one or another of the children would take a turn sitting on the hammock with me, while the others sat on a blanket or at the patio table.

Sweet memories.

Yesterday and today, we've taken advantage of some choice moments to spend on the patio with our school books.

Rhodes has been pleased to join us.

He even afforded us an occasion to meet a neighbor yesterday.

Jill was very calm as Rhodes, ignoring the warnings from the shock collar, rushed to meet her little dog in the street.

It was a pleasant encounter, and no animals were hurt in the process.

Speaking of Rhodes, he has a new friend, sort of. This little guy recently moved next door to us from Slovakia:

Apparently, he's a mixture of Schnauzer and Vizsla. I don't know his name, but he greets me through his new fence when I park in the driveway.

It's been wonderful to see the leaves taking shape little by little.

A special bonus yesterday was having my parents pay us a spontaneous visit. This is a privilege we'll certainly miss when we make our move to Houston. 

Dad and I have an agreement that whenever he visits, he automatically wants coffee.

I'm happy to oblige.

Like a Merchant Ship

A fine mess. Grateful Labor.

That's what this represents. 

When I thought that we'd be moving ten days from now, I decided to see how long we could stretch what was already in the freezer and pantry.

Aside from quick trips to the local grocery and an occasional bulk fruit run to Costco, I've managed to squeeze a lot out of what we already had on hand.

However, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard was beginning to echo in recent weeks, especially since I've been traveling and, therefore, neglecting many of my domestic duties.

(Kudos to my wonderful teenage offspring for running the household in my absence!)

Now that we'll be here for a few extra weeks, I realized that it was high time I feed my family sufficiently.

Today's grocery trip could have been made into a reality TV show.

The look on the face of the lady behind me in line at Costco said it all.

I assured her,

"We'll be back in two weeks."

She glanced at her lone case of Frappuccino and added that she felt like a "slacker".

I'll venture a guess that she probably doesn't have seven members in her household.

Two and a half hours after returning from my multi-stop grocery trip, I still have the rest of the pantry items lying on the floor and island, waiting to be temporarily stowed.

I'm taking this in stages.

By the way, behold my new favorite snacks:

I really like edamame. My favorite way of eating it is the way a local restaurant makes it (see note at the bottom).

My second favorite way to eat edamame is outside the pod, in salad.

This roasted snack version is yummy, too. 

Also, if you've never had anything from the Boulder company, these rice/adzuki bean chips are a good place to start. Years ago, I used to buy their malt vinegar & sea salt chips. They were the best ever.

When I buy these rice & bean chips (chipotle-cheddar flavor), I lose control. And sometimes I share.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

NOTE: Make this --

Edamame in the Pod

(Our family is large, so I buy the big, honkin' package at Costco.)

Follow the package directions for blanching them.

(approx. 3 minutes, I think)

In a large mixing bowl, coat with olive oil, salt (optional; soy sauce is involved later, which is very salty), pepper, and ginger.

Prepare in a ramekin (or ramekins, if you're germ averse, like me) a mixture of:

soy sauce

Hoisin sauce

rice wine vinegar

(The ratio depends on your own personal taste.)

Dip. Savor. Enjoy.

Yeeeeeee-Haaaawww!

"In his heart a man plans his course,

but the Lord determines his steps."

Proverbs 16:9

I can still recall the day when Craig received his assignment to his first duty station, and he called to tell me that we'd be moving to Ft. Ord, CA. I was ecstatic! A small-town Pennsylvania girl like me would be moving to California!
When we left Reno, NV on the final morning of our LONG drive there, I insisted on being the one behind the steering wheel on that pivotal moment at which we officially crossed the state line. It was somewhat anticlimactic to still only see mountains and highway for miles and miles, but the scenery was very beautiful.

That was our first move together as a family. To date, we've had fifteen mailing addresses.

Along our nomadic path, Craig seems to have viewed each new location as merely a stepping stone back to our Pennsylvania starting point. I, on the other hand, have viewed all of the transition as "The Adventures of Craig and Dayna", with our children as our supporting cast.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to me, has signified "The End of the Road", and consequently, the end of our grand adventure. After all, there's a whole world out there to explore!

In 2008, when we made our pilgrimage back to Pittsburgh, I was sure that it was The End. However, God had another plan for us, and we found ourselves, ten months later, moving to Maputo, Moçambique. There, we experienced very high highs and rather low lows; but it, too, was a grand adventure. The Lord used that time to bring me to a place of submission to His will, and I no longer felt bitter toward the idea of living in Pittsburgh.

Since returning here last summer, we have been richly blessed with many wonderful memories made with family and friends -- not to mention a LOT of good food!

Recently, however, it became clear to us - despite Craig's efforts to remain here - that God has plans for our family elsewhere. In just a few weeks, we will be packing up and taking our African dog on a new American adventure in the southwest.

We have visited Houston, TX, several times to spend time with extended family there. We've always enjoyed our visits, and briefly entertained the notion of living there a few years ago. The timing wasn't right then, and the door was closed to us for a season.
That door has recently swung wide open, and with joyful hearts, torn over leaving our beloved extended family here, we will march right through!

For the march, I'd love to don these beauties (or at least an affordable knock-off version):

Houses

Since I was young, I've always loved houses. I loved playing "house" as a little girl. As a lover of all things "Barbie" growing up, I was ecstatic when I got the Dream Cottage for Christmas one year.

I used to pretend that our big old farm-style house had secret passages -- and even had dreams about it!

Having inherited from my mom a love of miniatures, I was delighted to be given a wooden dollhouse handcrafted by one of Daddy's friends. Countless hours were spent in my little make-believe world of high-class living (or as high-class as I could imagine in my small-town world). 

Having had much exposure to 1980s day and nighttime soap operas, most of my dolls had names like "Sue Ellen", "Pam", "John Ross", "Alexis", and "Sammy Jo". I imagined that my doll houses were grand estates filled with elegance and plenty of drama.

For my entire marriage, I've moved my old dollhouse from place to place and stored it in attics and garages from California to Georgia, all along intending to eventually restore it.

Although I've meant for it to go to Caelyn for her future daughter(s), it was Gabriela who recently convinced my dad to begin work to refinish my dollhouse. 

Sadly, he's had great difficulty locating supplies. Apparently, building and playing with doll houses has gone the way of many other "old-fashioned" practices. I guess there just aren't enough little girls being taught to appreciate domestic pursuits, so hobby shops focus more on RC planes and comic books than on classic toys and supplies.

On Saturday, we spent the day with my parents, and Daddy invited me out to his workshop to show me his progress. 

He's been stripping the dollhouse in preparation for the wonderful plans he has in store for renewing it.

I can't wait to see how it looks when he's all finished with it. 

In the meantime, my mom has promised to give this to Gabriela,

which Daddy bought for Mom several years ago, just for fun. Our girls have loved playing with it in the past when we would visit from out-of-state. Now Gabriela will have the privilege of keeping it.

"Blue" is normally rather anti-social, but was kind enough to give me a little attention, and even posed for a few photos.